Chapter 20 Never Give Up

Bella puts her head upon her forehead. Johnny lays her back down. He rushes into the kitchen and grabs her some Tylenol and water. He hands her the glass and pills.

“What are those?”

“Tylenol.”

She sighs and takes them from his palm.

“Thank you.” She says once she pops the pills.

She drinks the water. Still the room spun on her. Her back was killing her. Her chest was burning. She groan’s out painfully. Johnny found himself blown away as her body took over in civilian wear. He winced as her black hoodie was slightly raised. Her back had a huge bruise going across it. Bella tries to fight it. But her eyes grew heavy; her eyes came to a close. Johnny picked her up and carried her to his bed. He tucked her in. He grabbed a blanket and pillow, and then took the couch. Though, he wanted nothing more, than to crawl into that bed with her. He figured they’d have plenty, of time for that.

Bella awakes to the smell of coffee and bacon. She rolls over and looks to the time. She falls out of the bed. Her nerves were shot. It was nine am in the morning. She’d been here all night. She rushes to the bathroom. Bella was thankful to see that she was almost fully healed now. She felt better to physically speaking. The rest of her was in full on panic. She rinsed out her mouth. She borrowed some of Johnny’s mouthwash and rinsed out her mouth. She did her best to make her hair look somewhat tamed. Bella rushes into the living room. She grabs her keys from the coffee table. Bella grabs her cell phone. She was about to dial Charlie.

“Whoa, what’s the rush babe?”

He had two plates in his hand. He sit the both down and some coffee. He motioned towards his round black dining room table.

“Relax, eat something.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

She starts towards the door.

“Now, who’s being rude?”

“Me? Rude?”

He nods with that smug grin. He sits at the table and starts eating.

“I don’t always fix breakfast you know. I was being nice.”

“How can you act so chill about all this?! People are dying Johnny! Spiderman’s out there risking his life! My father and my best friend they’re…” Her hands became fists.

“Is that what you think of me? That I’m that heartless? We’re human, Bella. Even with our abilities, we still need time to rest, eat, drink and live. We can’t be expected to be on 24/7 watch. That’s not how it works. We’d give out eventually and die. We’re more help to those people out there if we have our heads straight and we’re well and rested. Besides Spiderman will be fine, it just so happens he left with that little kitty minx of his.”

“You’re lying.”
“Nope, the guy didn’t even put up a fight.”

She flinches a like she’d been hit across the face. He pulls out a chair for her.

“Now please, join me.”

Bella sighs as her tummy growls.

“Heard that…” He utters with a grin.

“Just stop it’s annoying.”

“How so?”

“Johnny!”
“Yes?!” He says all innocently.

“You need therapy!”

“So I’ve been told.”
Bella looks around in thought.

“How old are you anyway?”

“Twenty.”

“I’m 17.”

He shrugs.

“Legal and not that much of an age difference.”

“Oh my god!”

“Just call me Johnny.” He says with a wink.

“Whatever, thanks and all, but there is no way I’m staying here, with everything that’s going on.”

Johnny leaps out of his chair. He grabs his jacket.

“Fine, I’m tagging along.”

“The hell you are!” She snaps back bitterly.

“So, there’s like no chance of a quickie?”

Bella tilts her head a bit.

“If you wanna play five knuckle shuffle, then by all means. Don’t let me stop you. The only quickie you’re getting from me is my foot up your ass.”

He cocks a playful brow.

“What right here?”
She rolls her eyes. Bella heads on out the door. Johnny chases after her.

“Where are you going?!” He shouts as she fires off a web as Arachnia.

“Hospital.”

Johnny hops on his bike and starts it up.

“Is she clinically insane or is it just me. Why do I always go after the crazy chicks?”

She saw the line of people and the ambulances at the ER drop off point. She grimaced already knowing. Her hand went to her heart. She already knew, this was Carnage’s doing. Arachnia paced a nearby rooftop. Johnny arrived at the hospital. He looked around for Bella. Sure enough I didn’t take long. She was already heading that way in her civilian wear. He couldn’t get over how cool that was. Bella froze at the doors.

“Easy now…”Johnny said as Bella was turning white.

“They’re here, because of me. He told me he was going to do this.”

He braced her up against him. Bella looked as though she’d pass out. It was even worse inside. The entire hospital was a mad house. Nurses, doctors, and patients were everywhere. Everything was chaotic. Johnny led her to the receptionist.

“Charlie Swan or Mike Newton?”

The woman nodded. She looked it up then came to her feet.

“Follow me.”

They followed her to a room. It said Michael Newton as the patient.

“Thank you.”

The elderly woman nodded and went back to her post. Bella knocked on the door. Charlie and Mr. Newton were both in the room. Charlie immediately hopped to his feet.

“Bells!”

He rushed over and grabbed hold of her.

“I’m so glad you’re ok kid.”

Bella hugged her father tightly.

“I’m glad you’re ok too dad.”

He kissed her forehead. He stepped back and nodded towards Johnny.

“Aren’t you that Johnny Storm kid from TV?”

Johnny nods and offers his hand. Charlie and Mr. Newton shake his hand.

“An honor.” Mr. Newton said.

“Thank you sir. So you both work for the force?” He mentions seeing they were both in uniform.

They nod in return. Bella made her way over to Mike. She shut her eyes, seeing how beat up he was. She covered her mouth, the tears made their way down. She swallowed back and took Mike’s hand. She parted his hair the way he liked it with her fingers.

Charlie came up behind her and put a hand upon her shoulder.

“He’s gonna be ok Bells. He’s just heavily sedated. He was in a lot of pain.”

She nods and Charlie hands her a tissue. She wipes her eyes and sucks back a breath. Bella leans over and kisses his forehead.

“He’s got a fractured vertebra. A few broken ribs.”

Bella looked over, really taking notice of how badly, her father was beat up as well.

“Is he?”

“No… He’ll be able to walk just fine. It was the L2 and L1. He’ll have to be in a brace when he gets out of here. But other than that he’ll be just fine.”

“What about you dad?”

“I’m fine, Bells. Don’t you go worrying about me now.”

Bella looks out the window, to see what Johnny was eyeing. Military vehicles were driving past and helicopters. She and Johnny share the same expression. She takes in a breath. Bella turns on the TV. Every channel was the fight between Spiderman, Blackcat, and Carnage. Bella noticed that Spiderman looked pissed. Every few minutes he had to save Blackcat’s ass. He’d have to send her a web or pull her to safety somehow. On top of having to save civilians that got in the way. It took all will for Bella not to react. She wanted to smack that bitch. At one point it even looked as though Spiderman was chewing her out.

“Dad… My friend and I really have to go.”

“But you just got here and…”

She takes her father’s hand.

“I need you to trust me dad. Please, just trust me. Tell Mike I love him and that I’m sorry.”

“Bells, this isn’t your fault and you’re not making sense.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She glances towards Mike once more.

Charlie cuts her one last desperate look. Once she and Johnny step outside they look to one another. Johnny sighs and he rips off his shirt and takes off his jeans. He dumps them into a nearby dumpster.

“We could have been making sweet love by now.”

Bella lowered her brows. Her fingers ran along symbol on his chest.

“What’s that stand for?”

“Fantastic Four, my sister, brother in law and a good friend of mine, we make up the team….”

“So there are three more of you?”

He nods.

“We’re not on the greatest terms right now.”

Bella nodded realizing that’s where she and Spiderman stood at the moment.

“Understood.”

“Meet you there?” He suggests.

She nods and watches as he sets himself ablaze and takes off. Bella continues to walk and finds a more secluded place. Bella says a silent prayer amongst herself. She takes in a deep breath. Arachnia takes over and she sends out her web.

“Need a hand?” Arachnia calls out as she comes down in a crouching stance. Spiderman sighed in relief.

Spiderman’s suit was ripped in various places. He hadn’t had time to heal he’d been at this battle for six hours straight. Blackcat hardly had a scratch on her and Arachnia knew it was because of Spiderman keeping her safe.

“And who are you?” Blackcat inquires as she barely misses a tendril coming right for her.

“Oh sweetheart, you don’t even want to know.” Arachnia curts and she takes off sending her webbing around Carnage. She was tired of this endless battle. She wanted this bastard DEAD. She no longer cared about her and Spiderman’s rules.

Johnny zips on by and sends a few of his fiery blast toward the creature.

“There you are!” Carnage thunders upon Arachnia.

She smiles.

“Did you miss me?” She smarts and blows him a kiss filled with webbing right for his mouth.

Arachnia slams Carnage back with her feet. He growls out and rips the webbing from his mouth. Spiderman fires another mouthful.

“Nah, we prefer this!”

Spiderman’s heart was racing as he watched Arachnia at work. She was so much more precise than that of Blackcat. At least she wasn’t getting in the way and she knew what the hell she was doing. That and his feelings were even deeper. He knew he couldn’t let her walk out of his life. He needed her. Spiderman and Peter Parker were not going down without a fight. He looked towards Human Torch in thought. He’s sure as hell wasn’t losing her to that prick! Without another thought, even though the battle around them continued. Spiderman sent a web around Arachnia’s waist. He pulled her towards him. He wrapped his arms around her as they swung from a web. They dodged a couple of Carnage’s moves.

“Just so you know I’m not giving up on us!” He shouted over the chaos.

He nodded at this and he sent her flying towards Carnage. She already knew the cue, without even having to be told. She spun her web around one of his arms with the massive tendrils. Spiderman helped. They continued to spin around and around dodging what came their way. Blackcat leaned back against a car below. Human Torch flew about he waited until Spiderman and Arachnia had a good hold on the arm. They motioned his way and he literally took off in a blaze right through the arm. The arm was ripped off and fell to the ground on fire. Human Torch was knocked out of his transformation. Arachnia quickly fired her web and brought him down safely beside Blackcat. He eventually rolled over and gave a thumbs up. She sighed in relief.

He saw the sad look in her eyes. He sighed, but was keeping with the plan. He’d drive her insane if he had to. Human Torch caught this from below as he helping Blackcat.

“Oh no you don’t you had your chance!” He mutters under his breath.

Blackcat falls on her ass as Johnny lights up and sails back into the air. Spiderman and Arachnia were doing their best to take on Carnage before his arm had a chance to grow back. A tendril sent Arachnia flying towards the street. Johnny rushed over and caught her before she landed. She rolled her eyes as she’d already had a web out to hang from. Meaning she wouldn’t have hit the ground.

“Wanna put me down now?”

“Is this a trick question?”

Her jaw dropped and she decked him. Johnny was squeezing her buttcheeks. He laughs.

“Like you didn’t like it.”

“You’re such an ass!”

She tugs at her web flying back into the air.

“She sounds kind of bitchy.” Blackcat smarts.

“Are you going to do anything or just stand there looking all hot and whatnot?” Johnny barks.

She seductively smiles and runs a hand along his chest.

“Which would you prefer?”

“Oh wow…” He shakes his head.

“Even I have some morals lady. I don’t slam dunk in places I may never got my balls back.”

He reenters the battle. Arachnia looks down after too long. Blackcat was still just standing there. A tendril was coming straight for a nearby woman. Arachnia ground her teeth together as she merely watched. She rushed down there avoiding blows herself. By the time Arachnia made her way down, she had to take the hit to avoid the woman getting hurt. She shoved the woman out of the way and was socked in the gut. The tendril snapped back as Human Torch caught it on fire. Arachnia grabbed Blackcat by the shoulders.

“YOU need to wake the fuck up princess! There’s a battle going on! Quit worrying about your hair or whatever it is and HELP OR GET LOST!”
Blackcat laughs.

“No one tells me what to do. And who the hell are you anyway. Such a tacky looking getup, seriously red and yellow? It’s like a bad mix of ketchup and mustard.” Arachnia hadn’t even noticed her suit was back to normal.

“It’s better than looking like an old woman, seriously what’s with the white hair. There’s no way that’s freaking real! What happened you encountered a new STD that bleaches your hair?”

Arachnia looks back towards the battle.

“Help or get out of the way!”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you? You must be the one he was referring to. Something about being in a pickle.”

Arachnia turns her back towards Blackcat. Blackcat places a hand upon her shoulder.

“You don’t stand a chance in comparison. The tabloids want Blackcat and Spiderman. Which do you think Spiderman will choose? We both know he’s all about putting on a good show. They’d take one look of the two of you side by side and laugh. But Blackcat and Spiderman, hot, steaming, liquid sex. Which will he choose? A chance to win over the media with his hot new love interest? Or some brass medal faded love in comparison.”

Arachnia nods. She twirls around. She clouts Blackcat in the face.

“That’s for the kiss!”

She punches her again.

“That’s for screwing up our lives!”

She hits her yet again dodging Blackcats attempt to swing back.

“That’s for being a cold hearted and lazy ass bitch!”

She socks her in the gut.

“THAT’S FOR ME!”

Blackcat finally gets a good hit in. She claws Arachnia across the face. She half laughs and wraps her hand around Blackcat’s throat.

“Challenging me? You might as well be plotting your own funeral. I’m faster, stronger, and smarter.”

Spiderman shakes his head catching bits and pieces to this. He sends out a web and brings Arachnia towards him.

“Not worth your time.”

Arachnia growls under her breath. He sighs.

“Fair enough she’s all yours, but after we take care of Carnage.”

Spiderman gets yanked away and slammed into the pavement. Acrachnia screams out and dives after him. She makes her way over and started to roll him over. She noticed that the side of his face the mask was completely ripped. She grimaced and looked around. He groaned out a bit.

“Hold on…”

Arachnia did her best to cover him so the media wouldn’t take notice. However, Blackcat made her way over. She crouched down. Arachnia hadn’t even noticed she was right there she was too focused on Spiderman. Blackcat reached over as Arachnia continued to check Spiderman over. She lifted the rest of the mask. Arachnia caught this and gripped her wrist tightly.

“Don’t you even! HANDS OFF!”

Blackcat though had already seen. She nodded with full disapproval. Blackcat immediately lost interest. She wanted Spiderman. The thrill of the man in the mask. Not some boy that looked to be in high school. Arachnia looked to her oddly. Blackcat started to walk away.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Arachnia shouted.

“You’re just turning your back to him?! After everything you’ve put him through?!”

Blackcat kept walking and fired off a grabble gun. Arachnia’s hands balled up into fists.

“I got you…” She said and brought Spiderman up against her chest.

She slung out her web and quickly took off. Praying he’d hurry and heal so the entity would take back over. Human Torch looked around realizing he was now battling Carnage on his own.

“Oh come on! Where the hell is everyone?” He snaps and escapes a few blows.

“Well that sucked.” Spiderman grunted.

Arachnia sighed in relief as his mask was becoming whole again. They didn’t have long the battle was making it’s way over to them.

“Are you going to be ok?”

He looks over.

“Piece of cake. I got this!”

She half smiles.

“Ok then, let’s go.”

They both take off. The three of them stand before a nearby theater where Carnage was now. They did their best to help the citizens escape and out of harm’s way.

“Where’s the other one?”

Arachnia rolled her eyes.

“We don’t need her.” She barked as she flung over another civilian to safety.

“Hmm… well if we’re about to die. Might as well make it worth it.”

Johnny grabs Arachnia and pulls her up against his chest. He goes to kiss her.

“MOUNTAINTOP!” Spiderman shouts out and he slams Johnny down into the earth.

“She’s off limits, understood?!” He socks Johnny right in the gut.

“I wouldn’t make me tell you twice buddy!”

Arachnia hurriedly steps in front of Spiderman as he comes back up. A bladed tendril was coming right for him.

“NO!” Spiderman shouted once he took notice of what she was about to do.

Johnny yanked her out of the way. Spiderman took the hit. It went right through his shoulder. It lifted him up into the air. Arachnia belted Johnny in the face.

“WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP DOING THAT?!” He growls.

“Why’d you move me out of the way?! DAMMIT!” She flings herself back into the air.

Arachnia grabs Spiderman from Carnage’s clutch. He growls out.

“OK, I don’t know about you, but I’m getting really tired. Time to wrap this up!” Spiderman says angrily.

“I couldn’t agree more.” She winces looking to the bloody show on his shoulder.

“Maybe, you should set this one out?”

“Spiderman doesn’t get benched. You should know better. “

She genuinely smiles as he takes off.

“ABOUT TIME!” Human Torch smarts.

“Look, let’s just end this once and for all Match Stick. Follow my lead and wait for your cue.”

Spiderman nods towards Arachnia.

“Why don’t I just go pay a visit to the hospital? Where daddy is?” Carnage bellows and grabs her by the throat.

Spiderman quickly takes advantage of this. He starts sending webbing all around Carnage as he’s distracted. He hated doing it this way, but was keeping an eye on Arachnia. Carnage went to move with her still in his clutch. Spiderman tightened the webbing around him and kept going. He yanked Arachnia out from his grasps. He nodded towards her.

“You know what to do. Let’s go home Bella…” He whispered.

She nodded and joined in with Spiderman. They kept going even though Spiderman looked dead on his feet. They spun around with everything they had. They didn’t stop, the both of them growing weary. Once Spiderman felt confident enough he nodded towards Arachnia. She looked over to Human Torch.

“THE FACE!” She shouted.

Spiderman nodded in full on approval. Long strands of fire blasts were keyed directly for Carnages face. Spiderman and Arachnia used everything within them to hold him back. They jerked at the webbing tightening the constricted holding. Eddie Brock eventually screamed out. The tendrils began to dry out and snap. Parts landed on the streets beneath them. The entity that had taken over Eddie Brock was now dying. His face had third degree burns. They all grimaced as he went limp. The bloody show around him baked and crackled as Human Torch decidedly worked his way down.

Finally, he dropped down. The military and police that had been doing their best to help below dealt with the aftermath. The three of them came down. The media went crazy. Johnny reached for Arachnia once more with a smug grin. Spiderman quickly stole her. He tilted her back in a familiar sailor and nurse pose. Spiderman passionately kissed Acrahnia. The crowd looked confused. Arachnia braced him against her as his body was finally giving out.

Bella wrote on a postcard that had Spiderman saving a puppy.

Jake, you’re probably on your way down as we speak. In fact I’m pretty sure you are… At least I hope you are. Hope you and Leah have a save trip down. Take care. Can’t wait to see you. Short and sweet, but you’re coming down, I’m sure to give you a mouthful.

Author note: Felicia Hardy is Blackcat the woman that asked Eddie Brock if he needed a hand… Sorry it’s not Gwen Stacy. I had some questions about that…